Honolulu Marathon – 3,500 ENTERTAINED AT ANNUAL MARATHON CONCERT

A large group of Japanese schoolboys were among the 3,500 runners and friends who turned out for the Honolulu Marathon's annual luau and concert Friday night at the Waikiki Shell. The 81 members of the Kokoku High School athletic club in Osaka, Japan, all of whom will run in Sunday's race, are on an annual school trip, according to Jimmy Miranda, one of their teachers and a former Hawaii resident.

Seven teachers, four of whom also will run on Sunday, accompanied the students from the all-boys school. This is the third consecutive year the school's junior class runners have made the trip to Hawaii. All paid their own way for the week-long trip, said Miranda, who teaches English and cooking. Field trips by other school teams include a soccer tournament in Barcelona, Spain, and events on Africa's Gold Coast and on Guam, he said.

While the crowd dined on pasta, chicken, corn and various salads, they were entertained by a mix of Hawaii's performing artists. The Hawaiian music combo Pu`uhonua opened the show, and was followed by Japanese singer Shota, who told the audience he also will be running on Sunday. Ukulele virtuoso Taimane enthralled the audience with her exuberant style and eclectic mix of songs.

Chinky Mahoe's award-winning Halau Hula O Kawailiula gave the crowd, many of them from Japan, a touch of Hawaiian culture, performing in both the kahiko (ancient) and auwana (modern) style. The halau features both kane (male) and wahine (women) dancers. The Mana`o Company followed with their contemporary Hawaiian music.

he Hawaiian reggae band Green closed the show with songs that brought many of the younger crowd dancing in the front aisle. Japanese singer-guitarist MiChi performed between Green's sets.

'EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS' CAST MEMBER TO RUN HONOLULU MARATHON

A 39-year-old Kentucky woman who is participating in a primetime network TV show's weight loss program aimed at losing half her body weight is among the more than 30,000 runners signed up for Sunday's Honolulu Marathon. Sara Murphy, who stands 4-foot-5, weighed 245 pounds when she started a three-month boot camp for ABC-TV's „Extreme Weight Loss'' reality show last summer.

Now six months into the program, she has lost „a huge amount of weight,'' according to Melissa Galvin, producer of Murphy's episode, which will air next year. Galvin declined to give a specific figure but said Murphy is ahead of schedule. Each cast member is given a six-month „milestone'' challenge, and Murphy was assigned by host and fitness guru Chris Powell to run a half-marathon. However, as she lost weight and passed the 13.1-mile half-marathon distance in her training, she decided to go for the full marathon, Galvin said. „We were hesitant but she convinced us she could do it and really wanted to do it,'' Galvin said, adding that Murphy has done training runs up to 20 miles and is confident she can finish the 26.2-mile run, although possibly having to walk in the later stages.

All cast members are checked by show doctors at the start of boot camp and again at the six-month mark, Galvin said. After the three-month boot camp, cast members return home and adjust, going back to work and dealing with real life situations, including the temptation of doughnuts and other pastries often found in the workplace. The weight-loss effort has given Murphy new confidence, Galvin said. „In the past she always held back because she thought no one would think she is capable of doing things.'' The show is filming for its fourth season, and each cast member will be featured in an hour-long episode at the end of their year-long venture, she said. The cast members know each other but don't compete. `

`No one is voted off the show,'' she said. „The focus is on oneself and the life changes they are making.''

Source: Honolulu Marathon